Southern Middle TN Today News with Tom Price 3-12-26

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Southern Middle Tennessee Today

News Copy for March 12, 2026

All news stories are aggregated from various sources and modified for time and content. Original sources are cited.

Ridley Park Names Headquarters After Boshers (CDH)

The city of Columbia celebrated another successful Midstate Classic softball tournament with a special dedication honoring one of the visionaries behind the creation of Ridley Park Sports Complex.

Columbia unveiled March 10 a plaque dedicating the Ridley complex's headquarters after former Columbia City Councilman Steve Boshers, renaming the facility as the John Stephen "Steve" Boshers Tournament Headquarters.

Boshers, a lifelong Columbia native, was born Jan. 22, 1965. He was elected to the council in 2017 representing Columbia's second ward.

Having a deep passion for sports, Boshers dedicated much of his life to the National Little League Association, serving as president of the Cal Ripken Baseball League, developing the Ridley Sports Complex was a project Boshers supported greatly.

"This is a fitting time to have Steve Boshers honored here," Vice Mayor Randy McBroom said. "Everybody here had a relationship with Steve. Anybody in this town could probably say they knew Steve Boshers."

McBroom later shared a story from when Boshers ran for vice mayor in 2018, challenging Vice Mayor Christa Martin, though was defeated by a mere 38 votes.

"I figured he would say, 'Oh, I was cheated or somebody did something wrong to me,' but that man made a difference in me," McBroom said.

"He said, 'It's okay, I lost.' He was so gracious in that little moment in his defeat. I still remember that, a 30-second blip in our life, how Steve was just so gracious in what he did. That's the kind of man we are honoring today."

In addition to his service on Columbia City Council, Boshers was also a Maury County constable, a reserve deputy for the Maury County Sheriff's Department, a pastor and territorial manager of O'Reilly Auto Parts for many years.

Boshers passed away July 31, 2019, two years after the $7 million Ridley Park expansion had been completed. In November of 2023, the council approved Resolution 23-88 to dedicate park space for Boshers, as well as a pavilion at Woodland Park honoring former Councilman Ken Wiles, who was appointed to serve after Boshers and later passed away Aug. 7, 2022.

"Steve made a difference, and we all need to remember that," McBroom said.

In 2024, the city dedicated Championship Field at Ridley Park after former Mayor Dean Dickey, which also coincided on his 91st birthday. Dickey passed away Jan. 8 of this year at the age of 92.

Boshers' surviving daughter, Linzy Booker, shared her appreciation for her father's dedication, and that Ridley Park, public service and supporting local sports meant the world to him.

"Thank you everybody for being here and the way this all played out, the way it is on the Midstate Classic," Booker said.

"My dad loved four things. He loved God, loved his family, loved this community and he loved the Volunteers. He is just beside himself in Heaven right now, and we are just thankful you all showed up today and are here, and we are thankful for the opportunity to honor his life."

State Announces $200M in Broadband Funding (MSM)

Maury County is among counties across the state set to receive funds designated to close the digital divide for unserved and underserved Tennesseans.

Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee, Deputy Governor and Department of Economic and Community Development (TNECD) Commissioner Stuart C. McWhorter announced recently the approval of a historic broadband expansion through the Broadband Equity, Access and Deployment (BEAD) Program. 

The state-administered broadband investment plan will bring more than $200 million in BEAD funding to unserved and underserved communities across the state.

When Lee took office in 2019, more than 20 percent of Tennesseans had no access to high-speed internet. That percentage will become zero upon completion of the funded projects, further supporting this administration’s goal of ensuring every Tennessean has access to reliable, high-speed broadband by 2028.

The $202 million in state-administered federal funding awards 128 projects across 74 counties to deliver broadband service to more than 43,000 previously unserved and underserved locations. Additionally, grantees will provide $200 million in matching funds, bringing the total combined investment in Tennessee broadband infrastructure to more than $402 million for the BEAD Program. These projects align with the state’s broader strategy to expand high-speed internet and ensure long-term connectivity for all Tennesseans.

“High-speed internet is essential for every Tennessean, which is why we’ve made strategic investments in broadband infrastructure and digital opportunity programs to expand access to education and skills training,” Lee said. “From day one in office, I’ve been clear that opportunity should not be defined by zip code, and that includes making sure rural Tennessee is not left behind. I’m proud to announce that once completed, this historic funding will ensure all Tennessee businesses and residents have high-speed internet.”

The BEAD Program is a federally funded initiative administered by TNECD in partnership with the U.S. Department of Commerce’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA). The funding will support the deployment of high-speed broadband infrastructure in areas that currently lack access to service meeting minimum speed standards, with a focus on long-term sustainability and affordability.

“The projects funded through today’s announcement will ensure that all Tennessee residents and businesses have access to broadband,” McWhorter said. “High-quality job training starts with access to high-speed internet, and I am proud of the work we’ve accomplished, thanks to the leadership and forethought of Gov. Lee, in investing a total of $1 billion to expand broadband infrastructure and digital literacy since 2019.”

This milestone brings the state’s total investment in broadband infrastructure and adoption programs to $1 billion since the start of the Lee administration, expanding high-speed internet access to more than 613,000 Tennesseans.

TNECD will continue working closely with local governments, internet service providers and community partners to implement BEAD-funded projects and support successful deployment statewide.

Tennessee’s BEAD-funded projects have an anticipated completion date of December 2028. The state broadband accessibility map can be utilized as a resource to search locations, addresses, and the internet service provider that was awarded in the area.

Committee Plans Land Use Plan (MSM)

On Feb. 24, an advisory committee met for the first time to discuss the process of creating the new Maury County Comprehensive Land Use Plan.

Maury County has brought in a planning and consulting firm McBride Dale Clarion to take input on the priorities of the community and stakeholders, then to draft the plan based on their decades of planning experience. McBride Dale Clarion is based in Ohio, where many municipalities lack full-time planning departments, and they’ve created comprehensive plans for many municipalities in the Midwest and Upper South over the last 20 years. Their resumé includes the downtown plan for the city of Franklin and the Williamson County comprehensive land-use plan.

“If you look at the comp plans that our firm has produced, none of them look the same… [We’ll] craft a comprehensive plan that is unique to a community and to what you guys want,” said Liz Fields, the Public Planning Manager for McBride Dale Clarion.

Fields, along with Senior Planner Andy Juengling and Planner Keeghan White, will work on the Maury County plan.

“We never expect to be experts [on] your community, that’s why you all are here. We’re just here as the professional planners to help take the input that you give us to craft that vision,” she said.

Maury County’s 2011 Comprehensive Plan will serve as the basis for the new plan: whatever works in it will be kept, what needs updating or protecting or development will get it. Because of the possibility of more radical upheavals in technology or population —  the old projections didn’t have Maury County reaching a population of over 100,000 until 2030 — the new Comprehensive Plan will only be expected to last for the next five to 10 years, instead of the 15 or 20 years in which the last plan became obsolete.

The advisory committee is composed of 13 “stakeholder representatives” with a balance of interests and priorities. The members are:

• Eric Previti, District 2 county commissioner and vice-president of the county Historical Society

• District 1 County Commissioner Jerry Strahan

• Regional Planning Commissioner Meredithe Hyjek

• Planning Commissioner Sam Kennedy, who’s also the heritage owner of Kettle Mills Farm

• UT Agricultural Extension Director James Harlan, also a heritage farmer

• Travis Groth, vice-president of Economic Development for Maury Alliance

• Sam Gray, a local builder who has presided over the local chapter of the mid-state Homebuilders’ Association

• George Vrailas, another local builder and realtor who belongs to the mid-state Homebuilders’ and Realtors’ Associations

• Maury County Highways Superintendent Ken McKee

• Maury County Public Schools Assistant Superintendent Eric Perryman

• Maury County Water System Board Chair Todd Shultz

• Lexi Bolinski, director of the local chapter of Habitat for Humanity

• Dawn Nelson, the owner of Higher Pursuits Canoe Rental

“You 13 are a stakeholder group that represents a broad range of community interests. Staff put time and effort into thinking, ‘Who should be on this committee? How can we get people that are pro-development, pro-preservation, all of these different angles,” Fields said to the committee members, who would review her firm’s work and finally recommend it to the Regional Planning Commission for passage. “We want to make sure that as we go through this, that you all are supportive of what we’re doing… [So that you’ll eventually] make a recommendation to the adopting body… [because] you all have read this, you all support it and want to see it adopted.”

The firm will help the county choose, in cascading order, the goals, strategies and action steps and personnel for the plan. Throughout the process McBride Dale Clarion will also post public notices and take feedback at a designated online “landing spot,” and host at least two “open house” events where people can give public comment on what’s presented to them.

Advisory committee Chairman Eric Previti suggested hosting one open house at the Veterans’ Memorial Building in Columbia, which will probably be held in the late afternoon on March 18, and the other in the auditorium of a rural unit school.

Priorities of the committee and public

The advisory committee and a few public commenters sounded off throughout the meeting about the special traits of Maury County that they wanted to either preserve or develop. Many wished to use zoning designations and the new comprehensive plan to prevent farmland from being developed.

“We’re rich in Maury County with… agronomy history [and] agricultural history,” said Harlan, who recalled that farming makes up a big chunk of the economy of the state of Tennessee. “I think that needs to be on the forefront of these discussions.”

“It is who we are as Maury County,” agreed Kennedy, and proposed zoning an “Agricultural District” that couldn’t be built over. “I would like us to be known as the county that did it different, that did something that everyone wants to copy… Instead of Nashville’s Bedroom, it could be Nashville’s Breadbasket.”

All four of the public commenters, who appear often with similar concerns at public meetings, agreed.

“We have a really good chance here to do something that some of the other counties and… municipalities around us have not done, which is to protect our resources,” said Dustin Kittle, an environmental attorney. “We’ve got something really special, as far as the rural character of this place.”

Two commenters opined that Kennedy and Harlan might not provide enough, or the right kind of, perspective on farming on the advisory committee. Teresa Sparks, of the county Industrial Development Board, wished that “small” and “regenerative” farmers were also represented on the committee, alongside the two “heritage” farmers of large inherited tracts, and as a counterweight to the “developer” interests on the board.

“I think the board is weighted towards pro-development, pro-growth, pro-houses [interests],” said County Commissioner Gabe Howard. “I know that we’ve got some farmers on the board, [but it’s also] got a commissioner that has voted and supported multiple developments within the city of Columbia.”

Farmers, developers and elected officials on the board agreed, for the most part, on what must be done to guide development.

Vrailas pointed out that “big developers” tend to swoop in from other states, develop prime Maury County land for maximum margins, and take the profits back to their home states; he suggested imposing minimum lot sizes to make building close-packed houses less profitable. Previti said that the City of Columbia, for which he’s running for mayor, has enabled urban sprawl by annexing what used to be county land.

Other advocates brought up the issue of cost of living. Lexi Bolinski, as the director of Habitat for Humanity, said this was the concern she heard the most about, especially from multi-generational local residents.

Previti and Kennedy pointed out that development requires utility infrastructure and thus higher service costs. Sparks pointed out during public comment that farming adds more economic value per acre than it consumes, whereas the opposite is true of exclusionary-zoned housing.

Previti and Dawn Nelson agreed on the importance of preserving the Duck River, as the regional water source and as a major recreational resource.

Finally, committee members and public commenters agreed that the public needs to be thoroughly integrated into the decision-making process.

“You as an advisory committee can help us get the word out… [via] person-to-person communication,” Fields advised.

Maury County Schools Partner with Tri-Star Bank (Press Release)

Maury County Public Schools is partnering with TriStar Bank to offer the Maury County Public Schools – TriStar Bank Work Ethic Distinction Scholarship to graduating seniors who have earned the Tennessee Work Ethic Distinction.

The scholarship is open to any senior in Maury County Public Schools who has successfully earned the Tennessee Work Ethic Distinction, a recognition that highlights a student’s career readiness. The distinction reflects a student’s demonstrated strengths in time management, initiative, industry skills, community involvement, planning, and work experience.

Qualifying students may obtain the scholarship application link from their school counselor or Work Ethic Distinction coordinator. The application window is open now through March 31.

Students must register at tnworkethic.com to submit required evidence demonstrating they meet the Tennessee Work Ethic Distinction standards.

Three $1,000 scholarships will be awarded. Funds may be used to support expenses for students attending technical schools, community colleges, or four-year institutions. A scholarship committee will review all submitted applications and select three recipients. The winners will be announced during the Maury County Work Ethic Distinction Celebration on April 27.

TriStar Bank has committed to funding the scholarships for the next five years and has been a longstanding partner of the Maury County Work Ethic Distinction initiative, participating annually in the celebration and associated job fair.

“A strong partnership with TriStar Bank allows us to expand opportunities for our students and recognize those who have gone above and beyond to demonstrate career readiness,” said Tristan Brown, CTE College and Career Coordinator with Maury County Public Schools. “The Work Ethic Distinction sets a high standard, and this scholarship reinforces the value of professionalism, responsibility and community involvement as students transition to the next phase of their education.”

Michael Franks, Maury County president, and Chief Lending Officer of TriStar Bank, said the scholarship reflects the bank’s ongoing commitment to supporting local students and workforce development. “At TriStar Bank, we believe investing in students who demonstrate strong work ethic and character is an investment in the future of our Maury County,” Franks said. “Our partnership with Maury County Public Schools helps ensure students are recognized and supported as they pursue technical training, community college, or four-year degrees. We are proud to stand behind this initiative for the next five years.”

And now, Your Hometown Memorials, Sponsored by Oakes & Nichols Funeral Home…

Michael Timothy "Spike" Jones, 66, passed away on Tuesday, March 3, 2026 in Columbia where he has been a lifelong resident.

A celebration of life for Michael will be held Saturday, March 14, 2026 at 2:00 PM at Oakes & Nichols Funeral Home with military honors provided by Herbert Griffin American Legion Post 19. Inurnment will follow in Arlington Cemetery in Mt. Pleasant. The family will visit with friends Saturday from 11:00 PM to 2:00 PM at Oakes & Nichols Funeral Home.

Ernest Giddens “Pete” Sloan, 76, retired Petroleum Geologist for the United States Dept. of Interior, and resident of Columbia, died Friday, March 6, 2026 at his residence.

A memorial service will be conducted Thursday, March 19, 2026 at 4:00 PM at St. Peter's Episcopal Church with The Reverend Chris Bowhay officiating.

Susan Piesch Dobbins, 74, passed away peacefully at her residence in Culleoka on Tuesday, March 3, 2026.

A public memorial service will take place at Hopewell ARP on March 21, 2026 at 4:00p.m. A private burial will take place at Hopewell Cemetery.

Clarice Eloise Allen White, 77, resident of Columbia, died Monday, March 9, 2026 at Maury Regional Medical Center.

No services are scheduled at this time. The family suggests memorials to the Maury County Animal Shelter, 1233 Mapleash Avenue, Columbia 38401. Online condolences may be extended at www.oakesandnichols.com

And now, news from around the state…

Voucher Program Expansion Passes Committee (CDH)

A bill to double the number of private school vouchers in Tennessee's Education Freedom Scholarships program to 40,000 passed a first committee vote on March 10, with bipartisan opposition.

The program has not yet been in existence for a full year. House Bill 2532 would not add testing or reporting requirements to measure participants' academic success. If passed, the expansion would grow the program from $144 million to $303 million.

Committee Chairman Kirk Haston, R-Lobelville, voted against the measure, alongside two Democrats on the panel.

Expanding the Education Freedom Scholarships program to accommodate parents’ demand is a top priority for Gov. Bill Lee in his final year in office. He’s said the state “owes” all parents looking for school options a scholarship for their child.

Last month, he said “fully funding” the scholarship program would require funding all 54,000 slots for which the state received applications.

The program offers 20,000 vouchers worth about $7,296 each in taxpayer funds to students statewide to attend Category I-III state-accredited private schools. Students attending independent home schools and umbrella church-related home schools are not eligible to participate. 

Half of the vouchers are reserved for families with incomes below 300% of the income limit to quality for free or reduced price lunch, about $170,000 for a family of four, or children with disabilities. The remaining 10,000 slots have no income limit. Tennessee’s median household income was $85,900 in 2024.

The program received about 54,000 applications this year. 

On March 10, House Majority Leader William Lamberth said the program, established last year, has offered families who had previously struggled to pay tuition a means to afford a better opportunity for their child.

“Individuals that yes, many times, were able to pay the tuition but also were going into debt, that had medical debt or other types of debt that they weren’t able to pay because they’re just trying to work a second or even third job to be able to put their kid in a great position,” Lamberth said, citing emails his office has recieved.

“These are their tax dollars that are going back to them for their child’s education,” he added.

Lamberth stressed that the program has not taken funds away from public education, and that the legislature has approved $4.4 billion toward K-12 education in the last 10 years.

He added that there is a proposed $9.5 billion in the state budget for public education this year, while the total cost for the expansion would be $310 million.

Members of the K-12 Education Subcommittee passed the bill in a vote of 5 to 3 on March 10 after about 15 minutes of discussion. 

Final Story of the Day (Maury County Source)

Kick off Easter weekend at Nashville Zoo’s Eggstravaganzoo, presented by Twice Daily®, on Saturday, April 4, from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. The annual spring celebration features egg hunts, face painting, keeper chats, animal encounters, and themed animal enrichment. This egg-citing event is included with general admission tickets or Zoo membership.

For more information and to register, please visit www.nashvillezoo.org/eggzoo.